PerforMind [Performance + Mindset] Building a Winning Crew: From Participation to Performance
MASTERS ROWING PROGRAMME FOR BRITS 2022
Leadership by Pacemaking
Just after COVID, I asked if anyone wanted to join me for another go at the British Championships. To my surprise, 27 people signed up. Suddenly, I was managing a program with multiple teams, both men and women. Most of these rowers were over 50, and many saw my success as a motivator. They thought, "If he can do it, we can too." This is an example of leadership by pacemaking. I didn’t tell anyone what to do—I just led by example, and people wanted to follow. Being a role model isn’t about being something you're not; it's about doing and letting others be inspired.
Performance Standards
To set a baseline, I used the Concept 2 website to determine the 25th percentile for each age and weight category. I told participants that if they wanted to be taken seriously, they needed to hit that standard. It wasn’t exclusive—anyone could race at the British Championships—but for my teams, there was a performance expectation. If you wanted to row with us, you had to meet a basic standard.
Rules of the boat
We set up a team charter inspired by Sky Cycling's "Rules of the Bus," outlining habits and rituals we’d always follow, like showing respect by being on time, always debriefing, being humble in success, magnanimous in defeat, and respecting the boat.
The most valuable rule was the commitment to debrief after every session, focusing on what made the boat go faster. It became a routine, not an exception. We analyzed the circumstances—whether poor performance was due to fatigue, weather, or other factors—and focused on learning, not blaming. The goal was to improve the process, not just the result. We asked questions like: Was our stroke rate too fast? Did we navigate properly? By understanding what worked and what didn’t, we could make adjustments to benefit the whole crew, even if it meant compromising individual strengths for the boat’s success.
Peer Pressure
What was interesting was how peer pressure worked. I didn’t need to push anyone. The team began to self-coach, encouraging and challenging each other. Everyone wanted to be the fastest in the boat, but they also wanted the whole team to be strong because, in rowing, the boat is only as fast as its slowest rower. This created a supportive yet competitive environment where everyone pushed each other to improve.
Structured Approach
We adopted a structured training program—because random training leads to random results. The program focused on improving technique, cooperation, strength, and endurance. With this plan in place, we could measure progress. People could see tangible results, like shaving 10 seconds off their time or feeling more confident in rough water. Structured training gave us clear metrics for improvement.
Crew
In coastal rowing, you often row with a crew of people you get along with—whether they’re work colleagues, drinking buddies, or people from a similar social or economic background. That’s your crew, and it’s great to row around the bay, enjoying the experience together. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that—it’s fun and fulfilling. But in reality, you’re just a group of friends rowing for enjoyment, not a team carefully selected for performance.
Picking a Team
When you start thinking in terms of a team, like picking players for a football squad, the dynamic changes. You’re not just sticking with people you already know and like. Instead, you’re choosing the best five rowers whose combined abilities will create a team that can compete effectively throughout the season or in a specific race. These people might not know each other or even get along—they’re chosen for what they bring to the boat, not for shared interests like a favorite football team, workplace, religion, or social background. The only thing they have in common is a shared goal: to be in that boat and win.
Running a programme
When you run a program, you work across different teams. You might swap rowers between boats to find the best combination. This shift represents the difference between a narrow, insular approach—where you always stick with "your crew"—and a more flexible, outward-looking mindset. In a program, no one’s place in the boat is guaranteed, so you have to compete for your seat. But at the same time, success depends on collaboration, so you must work together.
The bigger picture is that you want to be part of a larger team, striving for a spot in the best boat. If that happens, you could become part of a winning team. So, it's a transition from a small, introspective mindset to a broader, more collaborative outlook. This is something to consider when we’re building teams: it’s not just about who you know—it’s about what the team can achieve together.
Roles and Places
In a rowing boat, each seat has a different role. The bow is the front position, followed by two and three—the engine room. The fourth seat, Stroke, sets the rhythm and often communicates with the Cox, who steers the boat and makes tactical decisions on navigation, wind, and tide. Stroke and Cox must trust each other, as the rowers are facing backward and can’t see what’s ahead. The Cox relies on the crew to respond without burning them out, creating a collaborative relationship between strategy (Cox) and execution (Stroke).
The right One word
There’s a big difference between having a discussion onshore, where things might be more chatty, and communicating during a race out at sea. Onshore, you might spend hours in meetings, debating plans and strategies. But during a race, when your crew is working at full capacity—barely able to breathe—the volume of information and communication must decrease, not increase. In that moment, clarity is key. The only way to communicate effectively is with short, precise, one-word commands.
The words you choose matter. Each command has to have a pre-agreed meaning, established during your team meetings and training sessions. Some words are for tactical adjustments, others are motivational, and knowing the right word at the right time can make all the difference. Every rower responds differently—some to praise, some to encouragement, others to specific cues.
Greg Searle, in his book, mentioned how the French rowing team would shout the names of their children during the Olympics, drawing strength from their deepest emotional connections. That visceral, emotional anchor was what kept them pushing hard, ultimately leading them to Olympic gold.
As a Cox who has worked closely with your crew, you know their triggers. You understand the keywords that will fire them up, when to push them, and when to calm them down, helping them maintain rhythm and focus. Simply shouting at the crew doesn’t work—it will only annoy them, burn them out, or cause frustration. When rowers start shouting back, all their energy is wasted in frustration, not performance.
Effective coxing is about creating a dialogue, which isn't always verbal. Sometimes it’s conveyed through body language or the way you look at your team. Sometimes, saying nothing at all is the most powerful move—just listening. You listen to the oars in the water, to the rhythm of the boat, and even to the sound of the other team panicking. The moment your crew hears the other boat, they instinctively know it’s time to push harder.
Wide or narrow focus
When we're in a state of fear, our focus becomes narrow, like tunnel vision. We're solely fixated on the immediate threat, as if it's a matter of survival, while everything else fades into the background and is ignored.
180 degrees
In contrast, when we're relaxed and confident, our perspective broadens to 180 degrees. We can see the bigger picture, stay aware of our surroundings, and respond effectively. This open, calm state is incredibly valuable for understanding context and making strategic decisions.
Taking Action
When self-doubt creeps in—when the voice in your head says, "I'm struggling, I can’t keep this up"—it’s easy to get stuck in a negative loop. It’s nearly impossible to silence that inner dialogue completely. Instead, you need to shift from negative thinking to positive action by asking yourself, "How do my hands feel? Are my legs driving properly? Am I sitting upright? Is my head up?" By focusing on these physical cues, you crowd out the negative thoughts and replace them with constructive, actionable focus.
This approach isn’t just about thinking more positively; it’s about taking action and seeing how your body responds, building a strong mind-body connection that enhances performance.
Often, the Cox plays this role for the crew, asking questions like, "How are you sitting? Are your fingers relaxed? How do your shoulders feel?" By guiding the crew to focus on their body, the Cox helps shift attention away from pain, doubt, or fear, and towards positive, actionable steps that improve both focus and performance.
Picking a Crew
Selecting a crew isn’t about picking the five fastest rowers, but finding the right person for each seat. Some may only be suited for bow due to their technique or weight, while others can perform well in multiple seats. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle, ensuring each person complements the team. The crew’s stroke rate and how they work together are key to making the boat go faster.
In my case, although I’m an experienced rower and capable of rowing Stroke or Bow, it became clear I was the best Cox. Since others could fill the rowing seats, I took the Cox role. It’s about putting the right person in the right seat for the boat, based on the specific race conditions. It’s not always a reflection of skill but of what the boat needs to succeed.
LESSONS
Here are the key lessons that can be derived from the above
Teamwork
1. Collaboration and Trust: Success in rowing, like in any team sport, relies on mutual trust. Rowers must trust the Cox and each other to work in sync without hesitation.
2. Effective Communication: One-word commands during a race are crucial for clear, concise communication. The team needs pre-agreed cues to respond quickly under pressure.
3. Adaptability: Team members need to be flexible, sometimes swapping roles or adjusting their efforts for the greater success of the team.
4. Self-Coaching: Peer pressure can work positively to drive individual and collective improvement, as shown when rowers pushed themselves just by hearing split times.
Leadership
1. Lead by Example: Leadership through pacemaking is a powerful approach. The example you set can motivate others to rise to the occasion without needing direct instructions.
2. Recognizing Strengths: A good leader recognizes individual strengths and places team members in the roles where they will excel, rather than favoring familiarity or friendship.
3. Positive Reinforcement: The Cox or leader's role is not just to direct but also to guide team members with encouragement, using the right words to motivate under pressure.
4. Creating a Learning Culture: Debriefs focused on what made the boat faster or slower created a continuous learning environment, allowing the team to improve by analyzing results without blame.
Being a Team Member
1. Commitment to the Team: Being part of a successful team means embracing shared goals over individual interests, as demonstrated when people joined teams not based on social compatibility but on ability.
2. Responsiveness to Data: When team members receive objective feedback (like split times), they should be able to instinctively adjust their performance without needing constant guidance.
3. Self-Awareness: Rowers must be mindful of their physical state (hands, posture, etc.) and adjust accordingly, both in practice and during competition.
4. Taking Responsibility: Each rower must contribute fully to the team's success, understanding their personal impact on the boat's performance.
Being a Cox/Coach
1. Clear and Concise Communication: The Cox must communicate clearly and succinctly, especially under race conditions where physical exhaustion can cloud judgment.
2. Understanding the Crew: Knowing what words or cues will motivate individual rowers is crucial. The Cox must also know when to push harder and when to ease off to prevent burnout.
3. Reading the Situation: Sometimes, the best leadership involves staying silent and observing—listening to the oars, the water, and the rhythm of the boat to determine what’s needed next.
4. Balancing Strategy and Execution: The Cox manages both the strategic aspects (navigating, timing) and the physical execution by the crew, requiring constant awareness of the crew’s physical limits and mental state.
Being a Team Leader
1. Setting Standards: Leaders must set clear performance standards (as with the 25th percentile rule for rowing), which gives everyone a target and ensures accountability.
2. Encouraging Ownership: By allowing the team to self-coach through peer pressure, the leader fosters a sense of ownership where every team member strives for collective success.
3. Selecting for Success: Leaders must choose the right people for the right roles, not based on friendship but on performance, creating a balanced and cohesive team.
4. Facilitating Reflection: Leaders should make regular reflection (debriefing) a standard part of the process, focusing on how to improve future outcomes rather than just reacting to immediate results.
Tim Rogers
Coach, Consultant, Change-Manager
[email protected]MBA Management Consultant | Prince2 Project Manager, Agile Scrum Master | AMPG Change Practitioner | BeTheBusiness Mentor | ICF Trained Coach | Mediation Practitioner | 4 x GB Gold Medalist | First Aid for Mental Health | Certificate in Applied Therapeutic Skills
(c)opyright TimHJRogers
![PerforMind [Performance + Mindset] TimHJRogers Actionable Ideas for Better Performance](https://podcast-api-images.s3.amazonaws.com/corona/show/6506760/logo_300x300.jpeg){kind=logo}
